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We’ve all been there, I think. You lose focus for a second, and all of a sudden you realize you’re doing something you’re not supposed to be doing. Maybe you started “tasting” while cooking dinner, or you started serving yourself from your children’s pile of Snacks in the pantry, or you went to the drive-through out of an old habit or craving.

How do you handle the situation? Have you been able to stop yourself mid-moment? Or do you cave in, finish up the pan of brownies or whatever else it is you’re eating, and promise to get back on track tomorrow? If you have been able to come up with a way to cut it off or you’re good at getting back on track, share your strategies!

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Honestly, if it's right in front of me and I'm craving it like mad, I take a bite. Sometimes two or three.

Life post-sleeve isn't about deprivation. It's about building new and sustainable habits. In the nine months since my sleeve, when someone goes "hey, you wanna bite" or I become totally fixated on some treat, I indulge. I sit there, and once I have it in my hand and have a bite, I've satisfied the urge and it goes away. I take a bite, then wait. Then I take another bite, and by then, the impulse that drove me to it has passed. Then, I throw it away immediately. I don't save it, I don't say "I'll eat some of this later," it goes right into the garbage can.

Sure, it's resulted in a huge waste of food (it'll end up in two places: the trash or my hips, and I've learned to choose the trash), but it's how I manage to still feel like a normal person and find balance. Oftentimes, I can simply have a bite or two of someone else's treat, or offer to "split" something with a friend and only take a mouthful or two. I was a binge-eater and food-obsessed person pre-sleeve, so my post-sleeve plan is to try and live a normal life.

It's worked. As time goes on, I become more committed rather than less. The urges and thoughts about eating naughty foods decreases. The emotional attachment has slipped away, and I make good choices for myself. Yesterday, I had four little bites of Peanut Butter ice cream, and it was the first "bad" thing I'd eaten in weeks.

It may not work for everyone, but I stick to the plan by not ALWAYS sticking to the plan. I'm at nearly 150 lbs lost since July, totally on track, and more focused/committed to leading a healthy life than ever. How do I keep from sliding completely? By allowing myself to occasionally slide a little bit.

Oh! And any of that snacky bad food I try? It never, ever comes home with me. I indulge every once in a while OUTSIDE the house. Nothing but appropriate, high Protein foods and nutritious stuff in my house. I won't even keep things that are good in small amounts (aka: carbs, anything salty or sweet) because it's too strong a temptation.

Edited by BarrySue

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Honestly if there is something I want or crave I will usually have a few bites and I am satisfied. For me, there have been a few days in the last 20 months in which I felt like maybe I was over indulging and I called it a slip. So far, my strategy has been to immediately get back to the basics.

About a month ago, we had traveled and during that time I made some food choices that were not the best. I gained 2lbs over a period of 3 days. I got back home and immediately went back to my safe place where I make good choices and control myself. Within 5 days I lost those 2lbs and lost another 2 on top of it.

So for me the rule of thumb is, if I slip I immediately go back to the plan.

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    • LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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